When I first heard Persona 3 was getting a remake, I imagined it would provide a shiny new coat of paint on an enjoyable but flawed entry to the series. As more trailers trickled through in the lead-up to release, I got more excited for what could be much more than just a graphical update.

That's not to say the game hasn't undergone a gorgeous graphical overhaul. Persona 3 Reload is consistently breathtaking on stunning beaches or foreboding hellscapes. Hell, even the menus had me in awe of the sleek design, which, to Atlus' credit, has become standard for their games nowadays. Overall, the game feels like an animated film, and I mean that in the best way—just pure, unfiltered eye candy.

The gameplay of Persona 3/FES/Portable has always been the number one criticism of the entries. As such, I was ill-prepared for anything mind-blowing in that department. I've never been happier to be humbled, with Persona 3 Reload pulling no punches when it comes to innovating. Including quality-of-life mechanics, such as the 'Shift' pass, makes it much easier to wipe out hordes of Shadows easily. The Theurgy mechanic is a great addition that gives us a deeper insight into the characters while providing potent abilities. Throughout the main dungeon in the game, you are thrown curveballs, where some floors will have additional challenges, such as Monad doors, where you're given the option to fight brutal enemies for rare items used for crafting. These new challenges, along with some other gameplay mechanics, make the main dungeon much more engaging in my eyes and are a welcome addition.

In Persona 3 Reload, as with most Persona games, a social link mechanic rewards you for building friendships with powerful unlockables. This remake stays faithful to the original game, for better or worse. Unfortunately, the social links in this version can be a letdown. Some links feature poorly developed characters, making them a chore, while others could be more exciting.

However, Atlus did add some new events involving members of S.E.E.S., which was a welcome addition. These events helped understand the characters' motivations better and made the experience more enjoyable. I wish there had been more of these events and fewer involving the strange teacher.

Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the remixed soundtrack as much as the originals. That may be due to my love for the original soundtrack.

One of the most vital aspects of Persona 3 Reload is its narrative, which has remained essentially unchanged. There is no need for significant changes to the story since it was never a problem in the original game. The game straightforwardly delivers its message, making it easy for players to connect with.

In short, whilst the game has issues like some of the weirder social links and the soundtrack, this is still the definitive way to experience the beautiful, bittersweet story that is Persona 3. The wide array of additions makes this an absolute joy to play, and I'm already thinking about my next playthrough.

TL;DR: Fantastic, play this game if you can.

How often do you think about the Roman Empire?

I think about it plenty. Largely thanks to games like this being my bread and butter in my formative years. Was this irresponsible on my parent's part? Probably not, but I'm thankful for that. When I started playing this in 2024, I was worried that it wouldn't have aged well and that I was a spectator in my blissfully biased youth. I'm over the moon that isn't the case.

Narratively, the game is a 2005-era PS2 game, wherein you play as two characters, one with stealth-focused gameplay and the other with heavy combat focus. It has shoddy voice acting and laughably bad dialogue, which adds to the game's charm.

The game stumbles through one of the characters' stealth-focused gameplay. However, thankfully, the game's AI is potato-brained, and you'd have to try hard to find yourself stuck in any area for too long. That said, the different gameplay suits the narrative well and never feels like it drags on.

The Colosseums are where the game truly shines, though, with various modes to keep the player engaged, such as the arenas being littered with traps, different rules to each match, whole-ass chariot races, and even fighting elephants and lions. The game has a reward system wherein you complete feats such as dismembering your opponent to gain crowd praise, like a Devil May Cry-esque Style Meter, where you're rewarded with weapons and health. Through this system, the game actively encourages you to mix up your fighting style to get maximum points. Thanks to this, I was rewarded for thinking out of the box in ways such as slicing an enemy's arm off and beating them to death with it or breaking all the bones in their arms so they can't use any weapons.

Towards the end of the game, it doesn't quite hit the heights of the middle section of the story; however, it finishes strongly with me thinking about future replays.

TL;DR: Game fucks.